Help!!! My mummy don’t teach me sex education!
Nov 19, 2023
Initiative
Seeking
Feedback
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Esther
Nigeria
Joined Oct 31, 2023
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Photo Credit: A photo of me at the Girl Up 2023 Summit
Girl Up Africa Leadership Summit : Nigeria 2023
Communities are now filled with sexual assault survivors that do not know how to share their story or seek help. This is because no one educated them on their sexual health and how to protect themselves against predators!
Get involved! Let’s help them together.
Florence, a 13 year old girl approached me and asked me how she can care for her private parts, especially during her menstruation. She wanted to know if it was safe to use pads or tampons and how many hours can she have it on, she asks if she can use the same underwear or change them anytime she changes the sanitary pad or tampon, she wanted to know all about feminine hygiene and how to clean her vagina and if it was safe to use the public restrooms in her school when she’s on her period.
She also confided in me about the itching and how often she feels the need to urinate. It was a lot!
I answered all her questions as honestly as I could and even shared with her my own personal experiences. I told her that I had heavy flow when I was younger too and had to use “Always 8 hours long” sanitary pads. I told her that I went with different panties to school (mostly dark colored ones) for when I needed to change my pad. She laughed when she heard that! I also told her of how brave she is and how proud I am of her confidence and curiosity in taking the necessary precautions to protect herself in a healthy way.
She said something about her not liking how she smelled when she’s on, and I gave her tips to help make her smell like flowers next time. I asked her to tell me more about the itching and she said her boyfriend had touched her down there in the school toilet and since then the itching has gotten worse and she had even applied “coconut oil” to relieve it but it just won’t stop.
I encouraged her and decided that I would go to the hospital with her so she can get tested and a permanent solution can be made available for her.
We fixed a date and on that day she arrived with four of her friends who had the same same issues and all five of them needed help desperately!
Dear parents, guidians and big sisters - please help the teenagers.
It is important that we help nurture and teach them as well as support them on their life journey through sex education and intellectual development which will lead them to fulfil their potentials.
Bear in mind that, if these teenagers are healthy, they will have the zeal to learn and improve themselves in a positive way.
I am starting a “Girl Up” club that will teach them how to make the most of their lives by offering them; sexual, health and reproductive education, mentorship, valuable 21st century skills, develop their characters, and build their self confidence.
I want to make sure that every girl understands her true worth and achieve self actualization. I know I will be able to help as many of them as possible.
They need us!